Match referee clears Lee over beamer

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The fall-out from Brett Lee's controversial bean-ball to Brendon
McCullum continued yesterday, with an angry Australian squad
dismissing calls for Lee to be sent home, match referee Clive Lloyd
declaring the delivery "unintentional" and Australian coach John
Buchanan taking a subtle swipe at counterpart John Bracewell for
suggesting otherwise.

Lloyd, the former West Indies skipper who led arguably the most
intimidating pace attack ever, presided over the one-day match in
Auckland last Saturday, during which Lee unleashed a waist-high
beamer that struck McCullum on the glove.

And even considering the heated scene that followed - McCullum
advancing down the wicket to confront Lee - Lloyd didn't believe
the incident warranted disciplinary action.

"I didn't see a problem with it at all," Lloyd said. "It was
unintentional, that's what the umpires said and they didn't find it
necessary to take any action. That's it, as far as I'm
concerned."

Lloyd's assessment came after Bracewell suggested Lee
intentionally struck McCullum with the searing beamer during
Australia's 87-run victory, citing four other recent incidents when
the 28-year-old quick had unleashed high full-tosses at New Zealand
batsmen.

Buchanan, though, said the outspoken NZ coach was merely
attempting to "find ways and means of breaching our defences".

"At the moment, they're unsuccessful on the field," said
Buchanan, who was then asked whether Bracewell had been successful
in rattling the Australians off the field. "I think everybody can
make their own judgements on that one," he replied.

The Australians yesterday were angered over Bracewell's
insinuation that Lee struck McCullum intentionally, adding the
charge to the growing list of taunts launched by the NZ coach in
the past few months.

And Australian captain Ricky Ponting disagreed with Age
columnist Peter Roebuck, who said Lee should be sent home from the
NZ tour for his persistent use of the bean-ball. Ponting again
stressed that the dewy conditions at Eden Park contributed to the
ball slipping from Lee's grasp, dismissing as "rubbish" suggestions
that his right-arm tearaway was the only fast bowler guilty of
bowling high full-tosses.

"Anyone who knows Brett Lee knows that there's not an ounce of
that in him; there's no way he'd ever try and do anything like that
on purpose," Ponting said. "Sure, it's happened a few times of late
(but) it's the last thing I want to see and I know as far as
Brett's concerned, it's the last thing he wants to happen as
well.

"He doesn't want to wake up and read some of these things in the
paper like he has today, and answer as many questions as he has.
It's more about him . . . he's going to do his absolute best to
make sure it doesn't happen. As far as all those drastic measures,
I just think let's just get on with the game."

Buchanan, meanwhile, went one step further, praising Lee for his
accuracy at such express speed. "If we just look at the last number
of one-day games we've played, he's bowled something like 600 or
700 balls and we're saying this is a reckless attitude," he said.
"Four of those deliveries have been about waist-high. I think
anybody who understands fast bowling understands what we're trying
to do out there wouldn't make those comments."

NZ captain Stephen Fleming refused to be drawn into the
controversy yesterday, more concerned with figuring out a way to
negate Lee in today's fourth one-day international at Wellington's
Basin Reserve. Lee has dismissed Fleming six times in his career,
including all three innings in this current series.

"I'd like to see him sent home for other reasons," Fleming
quipped.

"He is a fast bowler and he's operating with hostility and
that's what you'd want. If we had a fast bowler, we'd be certainly
wanting him to bowl as fast as he can and unsettle as many players
as possible."

Fleming won't be granted any respite today, after Australia
named a four-man pace attack for the dead-rubber in Wellington. To
accommodate Lee, Glenn McGrath, Michael Kasprowicz and Jason
Gillespie, left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg was dropped, while
Ponting (thigh strain) and Matthew Hayden (shoulder) also will be
on the sidelines.

That opens up a starting XI berth for uncapped Queensland
all-rounder James Hopes, who is largely an unknown quantity within
his own team.

Ranked behind all-rounders Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson in
the Queensland side, Hopes had to wait until both were called up to
one-day international duty before making his mark on the
first-class scene.

"When they went away to the Chappell-Hadlee series, I became the
main all-rounder and it snowballed from there," Hopes said. "I
don't get nervous easy, so I'll be OK."

The Kiwis have brought left-arm seamer Lance Hamilton and
batsman Craig Cumming to replace Daryl Tuffey and Michael Papps.
Daniel Vettori has been named 12th man due to a continuing back
injury.